diff --git a/eng/native/gen-buildsys.sh b/eng/native/gen-buildsys.sh
index b39448626fb3a..4c1ed0943c45a 100755
--- a/eng/native/gen-buildsys.sh
+++ b/eng/native/gen-buildsys.sh
@@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ if [[ "$host_arch" == "wasm" ]]; then
     fi
 fi
 
-# We have to be able to build with CMake 3.6.2, so we can't use the -S or -B options
-pushd "$2"
-
 $cmake_command \
   --no-warn-unused-cli \
   -G "$generator" \
@@ -114,6 +111,7 @@ $cmake_command \
   "-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$__CMakeBinDir" \
   $cmake_extra_defines \
   $__UnprocessedCMakeArgs \
-  "$1"
+  -S "$1" \
+  -B "$2"
 
-popd
+# don't add anything after this line so the cmake exit code gets propagated correctly
diff --git a/src/native/libs/build-native.cmd b/src/native/libs/build-native.cmd
index b1a23666457a7..13e7334a73c53 100644
--- a/src/native/libs/build-native.cmd
+++ b/src/native/libs/build-native.cmd
@@ -102,10 +102,8 @@ echo %MSBUILD_EMPTY_PROJECT_CONTENT% > "%__artifactsDir%\obj\native\Directory.Bu
 
 :: Regenerate the VS solution
 
-pushd "%__IntermediatesDir%"
 call "%__repoRoot%\eng\native\gen-buildsys.cmd" "%__sourceRootDir%" "%__IntermediatesDir%" %__VSVersion% %__BuildArch% %__TargetOS% %__ExtraCmakeParams%
 if NOT [%errorlevel%] == [0] goto :Failure
-popd
 
 :BuildNativeProj
 :: Build the project created by Cmake